CommunityAnne Williams Golf Day raises almost £20k for Liverpool charity

Organisers gifted £19,710 to the Dan Kay Foundation after July’s gathering at Huyton & Prescot Golf Club proved another resounding success.

Each year, the event is held in memory of Anne Williams, who fought tirelessly for justice for her son, Kevin, after he was unlawfully killed at Hillsborough.

More than £100,000 has been raised for local organisations since its inception – and this year, the chosen charity was particularly close to home.

Dan Kay, a Liverpool Echo reporter and campaigner, forged a close bond with Anne and was instrumental in the launching of the golf day in 2013.

After Dan passed away in May 2023, a foundation was launched in his name with the aim of driving forward improvements to mental health services across the region.

“In terms of choosing our charity for this year’s event, it wasn’t a conversation,” explained Ste Martin, one of six organisers.

“The foundation will use the funds to help people primarily with mental health issues and continue Dan’s work by assisting anyone who needs a helping hand, all year round.

“There’s a simple message – a phrase we’ve used so often since his passing – that everyone should ‘Be more Dan’. Because Dan was all about helping others.

“We’re so proud to host this day – and what a day it is – so it’s a huge thank you to everyone involved; from our main supporters to the person who throws a few quid in via the JustGiving link.”

Now in its 13th year, the golf day continues to go from strength to strength, enshrining Anne’s legacy further.

This year’s event played out in blissful sunshine – it never rains – as participants from all walks of life and all standards worked their way around the course.

In the evening, many more flocked to the clubhouse for poignant speeches from Anne’s family, the distribution of impressive prizes and an old-fashioned party.

The attendees, many of whom follow Liverpool FC home and away, broke into a spontaneous tribute to Diogo Jota, who had lost his life so suddenly and tragically a week before the event.

And further tributes to the Reds’ forever number 20 have been made in the weeks since, on behalf of all those involved in the Anne Williams Golf Day.

“One of our supporters donated a signed Jota top for this year’s event and it was going to go onto the auction table,” said Ste.

“However, following the tragic news, we felt it wasn’t right to auction it, so we decided to donate it to one of our players, who is the manager of Reds Bar in town.

“It’s there for everyone to see from us and is another reminder that he’ll never be forgotten by any of us.”